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Common name: Chub
Latin name: Leuciscus cephalus
Family: Cyprinidae
Current UK Rod Caught Coarse Fish Record Chub (Leuciscus cephalus) 9lb 5oz 2007
Andy Maker, Southern Stillwater
Description and habitat of Chub:
Nicknames include old rubber lips, loggerhead, chavender and chevin. The chub
is mainly a river fish found in slow moving rivers to the faster moving rivers
and weirs especially where trees or bushes overhang the water. The chub is also
found in ponds and lakes and is now being stocked in commercial fisheries. The
chub is a thick set fish with a large blunt head. It has a long and cylindrical
body with large greenish/brown scales that have a slight black edging across
the back working down to a lighter golden flank and a light belly with a dark
brown or black tail. The dorsal fin of the chub is a greyish/green colour, with
all the other fins being orange/red. The chub has a large mouth with thick rubbery
lips and a voracious appetite and will eat almost anything. When smaller, the
chub is sometimes mistaken for dace as both the chub and the dace have similar
body and fin colouring. Identification is by the shaping of the dorsal and anal
fins. The chub has convex shaped fins while the dace is concave. Small chub
often swim in shoals and as they grow the larger specimens usually become solitary.
An average size chub is 2½ - 3lb.
Fishing Methods for catching Chub:
Chub can be caught using various methods including float, ledger, feeder, free-lining,
spinning with lures and even fly fishing. The venue will determine the best
method. A medium rod with a fixed spool reel fitted with a minimum of 3lb line
should be used. Hook size of 16 up to a 4 but this will depend on the size of
the bait used. I use barbless hooks because they cause less damage to the fish
and are easier to unhook.
A typical approach when chub fishing in rivers or flowing waters is trotting.
Use a stick float or in faster waters a big Avon or a Loafer that carries a
lot of shot. The float and shotting pattern will depend on the speed of the
water flow and where in the water the chub are located. Plumb the water to get
the depth and start by stringing the shot out button style and letting the float
and baited hook flow at the same speed as the water. The baited hook needs to
be in front of the float so hold back (stop the float) for a couple of seconds
every couple of yards or so. When trotting remember to feed every cast. After
a few run throughs if you get no bites try altering the shot by moving it nearer
the hook or bunching every second shot together. If fishing a fast flowing water
try using an Avon type float and fix the shot nearer the hook to keep it closer
to the river bed.
Another method is free-lining. This is ok where there is little flow on the
water. Attach a single swan shot (SSG) about a foot up the line from the hook
and fish a large piece of luncheon meat or bread. The bait will bounce along
the river bed and hopefully be intercepted by the chub. The feeder rod can also
be used. Make sure you use enough weight to hold the bait on the bottom of the
river bed. Start with a 24 inch hook length, bait your hook, fill you feeder
with maggots or casters and cast in. If after a few casts you don't get a bite
try varying the hook length from the feeder until you start getting bites
Chub can also be caught on plugs and spinners. On slower moving rivers / waters
try fishing floating crust. This can be a perfect approach on its day. Chub
love bread so don't be afraid to use quite large pieces.
Natural food for chub include;
Invertebrates, crustaceans, insects, flies, mayfly, caddis fly, larvae, worms,
fish fry, berries from overhanging bushes i.e. elderberry. Larger chub will
eat smaller fish such as minnows, roach and dace. Chub are known for being gluttonous
and will eat just about anything. Unlike other fish the chub will feed throughout
the year be it a hot summer afternoon or freezing winter morning.
Baits for catching Chub:
Worms, lob worms, redworms, cheese (especially the smelly cheese), cheese paste,
bread (either crust, flake or paste), maggots, pinkies, casters, pellets, hemp
and tares, wasp grubs, slugs, black slugs are a good chub bait, sweetcorn, luncheon
meat, sausage meat, berries and elderberries, shrimps, cockles (fresh not frozen
or pickled in vinegar), boilies. For the bigger chub use a bigger bait. Chub
are also caught using plugs and lures and also by fly fishing.
A couple of tips.
1: Tackle up away from your peg because chub are very wary fish and can soon
be scared away. The vibrations you make next to the water can frighten the chub
away and when you are stood near the water your profile against the skyline
can scare them away.
2: Once hooked a chub will swim straight for any rushes or underwater obstacles
like submerged trees or tree roots and snag you up.
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